Story Contest 2018
by TheWanderingMist
Summary: Three stories written for a contest.
1. Chapter 1

"And in other news, Dr. Fuji is still missing following his mysterious disappearance in May of last year. Authorities still have no leads on his whereabouts."

A young woman with long brown hair turned the television off and walked over to a desk in the corner of the room. Paper and pens were strewn about the whole surface of the desk. Various sentences on the papers were highlighted in a myriad of colors. She pulled out the chair and began organizing the papers. Nearby a bulletin board was hung on the wall. Tacked to it were various newspaper clippings, all involving Dr. Fuji, and all highlighted in the same manner.

"Still fascinated by Dr. Fuji, I see," said a voice from behind the woman.

The young woman leapt to her feet and turned around. An older man with gray hair stood in front of her, wearing a white lab coat over a red shirt and khaki pants.

"Professor!" she exclaimed. "Please don't scare me like that. I nearly had a heart attack."

"Sorry, sorry, Delia, I didn't mean it. I came to check on you because it's the fifth day in a row you've stayed up past midnight studying it."

"It's past midnight? I should really…"

"No, don't worry. Everything is fine. Stay as long as you like. Although, your fascination with Fuji seems to have rekindled Elm's Egg obsession and all of us know how Hale is about the Unown."

Delia giggled. "Those two get so fired up about it, too."

"You're the same, you know. Between the three of you, I'm losing my best students to side projects!" The professor sighed. "Well, I suppose it's all well and good that you're all eager to learn. So, can you tell me what you've learned about Dr. Fuji? I seem to recall he was famous for something, but I don't remember what it was."

"He was a Pokemon biologist, always on the hunt for new species. Specialized in Pokemon genetics. He was on the expedition team that recovered an ancient carving of Mew."

"Oh yes! I remember him now. That carving turned out to have a single strand of Mew's hair as well, which propelled that whole archaeological team to scientific superstardom."

"And then, his disappearance shocked everyone. No one else on the team has disappeared since, only him. I've been scanning his papers line by line looking for any hints or clues to his location. And I've still got nothing after almost a year. I'm just...tired of searching for an answer. You said it was past midnight. I think I'll go to bed now." She walked to the door.

"Delia," said the professor.

"Yes, Professor Oak?" she replied.

"You're not doing anything foolish, are you? It's been a year since it happened. I told you that you and Ash could stay here as long as you needed to."

"What are you saying, Professor?"

"I'm not revoking that. I'm saying you need to be careful, Delia. Despite the lack of other disappearances, Fuji's vanishment may not be benign."

"I understand, Professor. I'll be very careful."

"Good."

s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s

Delia walked down the hallway and opened the door to her room. Her 4-year-old son was sleeping, sprawled on the floor. A smile spread across her face. She gently roused him.

"Huh? Mom? What's...going...on?" he asked groggily.

"It's OK, Ash," she replied. "I just wanted to say goodnight to my favorite kid."

"Will we get to go home soon? Will Dad be there? It's been so long."

"Yes, it should be very soon Ash. And Dad should be there too."

"Yay! I can't wait to play with him again." Ash fell back asleep, still smiling.

The smile disappeared from her face. "At least I hope so. I've finally figured out where Dr. Fuji disappeared to. I just hope he can actually help. First things first. In the morning, we're getting you a haircut."

s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s

Professor Oak could not shake the feeling that Delia was hiding something from him as he strolled back to his lab. He called Professors Rowan and Juniper, but neither proved able to help. A thought struck him. He rushed to the computer and looked up the first report of Dr. Fuji's disappearance. A chill went down his spine. Right there, in black and white, one simple sentence.

"Dr. Fuji is a celebrated Pokemon biologist and geneticist whose specialty is in the field of _cloning_."

s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s***s


	2. Chapter 2

**Lake Acuity Redux**

 _ **Summary: The winds of fate blow a different way in this partial re-imagining of Ash and Paul's first Full Battle.**_

 _Last episode, our heroes encountered Paul, Ash's rival who abandoned Chimchar after the Hearthome Tag Battle Tournament. Paul had recently lost to Brandon of the Battle Pyramid and was shocked to discover Ash had beaten Brandon when his brother Reggie could not accomplish the same feat. Reggie suggests a Full Battle between the two, and soon the flames of their rivalry had heated up. Weavile was knocked out by Staraptor's Close Combat, and eventually a battle began between Grotle and Honchkrow, who after a Night Slash, began a Sky Attack! What will happen in today's battle? Find out on Pokemon!_

"Grotle, counter with Rock Climb!" commanded Ash.

The Grove Pokemon dug its heels into the battered ground and began charging toward the diving Honchkrow. Honchkrow accelerated its Sky Attack in anticipation.

"Grotle is at a big disadvantage here," commented Brock. "Not only does Honchkrow have a good type matchup, it also has Electabuzz's Light Screen in play, which raises its resistance to special moves."

"I really hope Ash has some sort of plan," said Dawn, clutching Piplup closer to her.

"Now, Grotle!"

At this, Grotle leapt into the air, carried ever so slightly higher by its running momentum. Honchkrow flew right beneath Grotle, missing its Sky Attack. Grotle slapped Honchkrow with its back feet, sending it plummeting to the earth below. Grotle landed behind it with a thud. Honchkrow struggled to get to its feet.

"Pathetic," said Paul. "Why aren't you stronger? Return."

Honchkrow disappeared in a flash of red light.

"Magmortar, time for battle."

A burst of flame accompanied the customary flash of white light and a fiery Pokemon stood before Grotle.

"Magmortar?! That's the evolved form of Paul's Magmar," Brock exclaimed.

"Paul must have trained it quite hard to get it to evolve," said Dawn.

"Actually, Magmortar is an item-based evolution, like Pikachu or Eevee," piped up Reggie. "The item needed for Magmar to evolve into Magmortar is called the Magmarizer. I occasionally get them from customers so I gave one to my brother."

"Power is the only thing Paul is ever concerned about," muttered Dawn.

"What do you mean?" asked Reggie.

"Grotle, return! You did amazing, buddy. But you need some rest for now," said Ash.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu hopped up and down and tugged at the cuff of Ash's jeans.

"I know you wanna fight, Pikachu, but it'll have to wait. Go, Buizel!"

"Bui bui!"

The aquatic orange weasel Pokemon bounced and boxed at the air. It looked toward Magmortar, which sneered. Buizel's smile turned into a snarl and its fur stood up on its back.

"Bui bui bui."

"Magmortar, Smog!"

Magmortar's hands retracted into its arms and a cloud of purple-tinged smoke poured out, covering the battlefield. Buizel coughed as the smoke filled its lungs.

"Magmortar, return. Ursaring, now!"

Magmortar disappeared and was replaced by a hulking shaggy-furred brown Pokemon with sharp claws and a cruel face. Ursaring towered over Buizel, its head far above the Smog.

"Buizel, use Aqua Jet!"

"Ursaring, Bulk Up!"

Water began to spiral around Buizel. It lifted Buizel up out of the Smog and rocketed it toward Ursaring, whose strength had increased due to Bulk Up, causing its muscles to become more defined. Buizel slammed into Ursaring to little effect and scampered back toward Ash as a light breeze cleared the Smog.

"Ursaring's Defense increased thanks to Bulk Up, which allowed it to take Buizel's Aqua Jet much better than it would have normally," said Brock.

"Ash could be in trouble," said Dawn.

"Excuse me, but could you explain what you meant when you said power was all my brother cared about?" repeated Reggie.

"Do you know why Ash has Chimchar now?" asked Dawn.

"My brother told me he'd released it for being weak," said Reggie.

"That's not the whole story," said Brock.

"Tell me everything."

"Ursaring, use Slash!"

Ursaring charged Buizel and slashed at it with its claws. Buizel tried to dodge but tripped and fell onto its back. Ursaring slammed Buizel into the ground with one paw and held it down. It punched out its paw instinctively as Ursaring bore down on it. Ursaring swatted at the paw with its powered-up attack. The claw and paw collided. Ursaring stopped in its tracks. Buizel's paw was glowing.

"Keep going, Ursaring!" shouted Paul.

"Hang in there, Buizel!" said Ash.

Ursaring pushed Buizel's glowing paw farther and farther down. Buizel pushed back with all its might. The glowing paw took on a cyan tinge, which soon spread to Ursaring itself. Ursaring let Buizel go and tried to stop the glow from covering it with its good claw to no avail. Soon, Ursaring was frozen over.

"Buizel...you learned Ice Punch! That's awesome!" said Ash.

"Ursaring, break free now!"

"Buizel, Sonic Boom!"

Buizel's tails glowed white and it slapped them against Ursaring with all its might. The ice surrounding Ursaring shattered and the large Pokemon staggered and fell to its knees, shivering and covering its ears with its paws.

"Hmmm, Sonic Boom had a much greater effect than normal thanks to Ice Punch, though I don't think Ash planned that," said Brock.

"How?" asked Dawn.

"Sonic Boom is a sound-based attack. Sound comes from vibrating molecules hitting each other, and air isn't a good medium for sound to travel through since the molecules are so far apart in general. Liquids like water conduct sound much better due to the molecules being far closer, and the same is even more true of solids like ice. Ursaring was covered in ice thanks to Buizel's newly-learned Ice Punch, which lead to a much more powerful Sonic Boom," explained Brock.

Reggie stared at Paul contemplatively.

"Buizel, use Water Gun!"

A jet of water sprayed from Buizel's mouth and hit Ursaring square in the stomach. Ursaring keeled over and lay flat on the ground.

"Ursaring is unable to battle! The winner of this match is Buizel!" announced the referee.

"Bui bui bui!"

"All right, Buizel! Great job!"

"Return, Ursaring. Go, Electabuzz!"

"Bii bii bii!"

"Come back, Buizel! Your turn, old buddy. Go, Pikachu!"

"Pikachu?! But won't its attacks be ineffective against Electabuzz?" said Dawn, clutching Piplup closely again.

"Ash must have something up his sleeve," replied Brock.

Reggie broke his gaze from his brother and stared toward the ground, still contemplative.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

The yellow Pokemon bolted forward, leaving a brief white glow after it. It bashed into Electabuzz who took a step back as Pikachu bounced off.

"Iron Tail!"

"Thunder Punch!"

The attacks collided, kicking up dust from the ground. Neither Pokemon showed any signs of significant damage.

"Quick Attack again!"

"Light Screen!"

A cubic yellow energy field surrounded Electabuzz. Pikachu burst through the walls of the field losing none of its blistering speed and smacked into Electabuzz again, who still only took a step back in recoil. Pikachu remained a few feet away. The Electric Pokemon was proving tough.

"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"

"What?! Why Thunderbolt? Light Screen will just reduce its power," said Dawn.

"Hmm," said Brock, watching the match intensely.

"Electabuzz, block with Protect!"

A translucent green dome appeared around Electabuzz as jagged yellow sparks shot out of Pikachu. The sparks passed through the energy field of the Light Screen and lost much of their intensity before colliding harmlessly with the Protect. Electabuzz stood proud within its Light Screen as the Protect faded.

"Now, Volt Tackle!"

"Aha! So _that_ was Ash's plan, to make Paul use Protect," said Brock.

"Why would that matter?" asked Dawn.

"Watch and see."

"Electabuzz, Protect again!"

The translucent green dome reappeared around Electabuzz. Covered in yellow lightning, Pikachu sped toward Electabuzz. Smashing through the Light Screen, Pikachu rammed into Electabuzz's Protect. Protect shattered, sending shards flying as Pikachu crashed into Electabuzz. The Electric Pokemon was knocked flat on its back. Pikachu winced at the recoil, panting heavily. Electabuzz wobbled back to its feet as the remaining shards of Protect dissipated into the air and the energy field of Light Screen faded.

"Protect may be a perfect defense, but it's easy to be perfect _once._ When Protect is used more than once, its failure rate skyrockets," said Brock.

"In addition to that, Protect was Paul's only choice in that situation," added Reggie, finally speaking up after a long period of silence. "Light Screen isn't effective against physical moves like Volt Tackle and both Thunder Punch and Thunder would've just powered Volt Tackle up."

"Thunder!"

A gigantic bolt of lightning emerged from Electabuzz's antennae and crashed down onto Pikachu. The Electric Mouse braced itself as the shock traveled through its body. Pikachu dug its tail into the ground, allowing some of the current to pass through unimpeded and causing less damage.

"Pikachu, return!"

"Pika pika."

"I know, buddy, but you need to rest."

Pikachu scurried back to Ash, who gave it a light pat on the head.

"Alright, you rest up while someone else finishes this. Go, Chimchar!"

A flame-colored Pokemon appeared in front of Ash. Upon seeing Electabuzz, Chimchar began scratching the ground with its fingers and hopping in place. It stared fiercely at Electabuzz.

"Chimchar, Flame Wheel!"

"Electabuzz, Thunder Punch!"

Orange flames engulfed Chimchar and began to spin rapidly around it. Electabuzz's fist became engulfed in jagged yellow sparks. It charged toward Chimchar. The burning wheel veered toward Electabuzz. The Thunder Punch landed solidly, knocking Chimchar out of its flames. Chimchar began rolling toward Electabuzz with renewed energy and hit it square in the chest, knocking it to its knees. Then, a tiny bolt of electricity straggled its way around Chimchar.

"THunder Punch again!"

Lightning once again cloaked Electbuzz's fist as it charged toward Chimchar but something was different. A purple-red aura had formed around Electabuzz as it loped its way across the battlefield. Chimchar attempted to jump. It could not move due to the electricity suddenly surrounding it.

"Oh no!" shouted Dawn

"Electabuzz's Static must have activated when Chimchar hit it," said Brock. "Ash is in trouble again."

Electabuzz's fist connected with Chimchar's paralyzed body, knocking back the Chimp Pokemon quite a way. Chimchar staggered to it feet and continued to stare down Electabuzz. A red-orange aura formed around Chimchar as its eyes changed color to match. It began screeching and screaming.

"Blaze already?" asked Dawn. "Those Thunder Punches really took their toll on Chimchar. And Chimchar still can't control itself well when in Blaze."

"Chimchar, Flamethrower!"

A jet of red-hot flame burst from Chimchar's gaping mouth and engulfed Electabuzz. The searing heat could be felt on the sidelines and wind rushed in as the oxygen in the nearby air burned up. Electabuzz stood proud amidst the flames as they disappeared. One red flame lingered on its hand and failed to disappear with the rest.

"Thunder!"

"Dig!"

A gigantic bolt of electricity raced toward Chimchar who, having shaken off the paralysis thanks to Blaze, managed to duck underground just in time to dodge the attack. Seconds later, it appeared beneath Electabuzz and sent it flying with its Ground-type attack. Electabuzz stood yet again. Its knees trembled, it was breathing heavily, yet it stood there, a near-insurmountable obstacle. Chimchar began to glow a bright blue-white.

"Is Chimchar…?" asked Ash.

"No way," said Dawn, eyes shining.

The glow became brighter and brighter while also slightly increasing in size. The light faded and a new Pokemon that looked like a larger Chimchar with a blue mask stood where Chimchar had been. Dawn took out her Pokedex.

"Monferno, the Playful Pokemon. A Fire/Fighting type. Monferno uses ceilings and walls to launch aerial attacks on its opponents. Its long tail is but one of its weapons."

"If it can't take out Electabuzz with a Blaze-powered Flamethrower, evolution isn't going to help that weakling," said Paul. "Electabuzz, finish this with Thunder Punch!"

Monferno's eyes were still glowing red from the triggering of Blaze. It bared its fangs toward its original Trainer and started walking slowly toward Paul.

"Monferno, no! Focus on Electabuzz! You didn't just evolve, you got a new move. Use Mach Punch!"

Monferno's fist glowed white and it ran toward Electabuzz at full speed. Electabuzz returned the favor, careening toward Monferno with its electrically-powered fist. The purple-red aura surrounded Electabuzz again and the electricity covering its fist spiraled outward to encapsulate the aura as it bore down on its target.

"That's...that's Giga Impact!" exclaimed Reggie.

"You aren't the only one who can pull off flashy tricks mid-battle, loser," said Paul.

The fighters crashed into each other at full speed, creating an enormous cloud of smoke and dust. As the dust settled, both Pokemon were flat on their stomachs. Both struggled to get up and collapsed back to the ground.

"Both Electabuzz and Monferno are unable to battle. This match is a draw!" announced the referee.

Paul growled in frustration. "Pathetic," he grumbled as he recalled Electabuzz to its Poke Ball.

"Great job, Monferno! We'll get that Blaze under control soon. You managed to hear me this time."

"Go, Honchkrow!"

"Come out, Buizel!"

The two Pokemon appeared on the battlefield. Honchkrow screeched confidently. Buizel coughed.

"Buizel's been Poisoned!" yelled Brock. "That will wear down its stamina quickly. Ash will have to end this fast."

"Honchkrow, use Night Slash!"

"Buizel, dodge with Aqua Jet!"

Honchkrow scratched a glowing purple talon at Buizel whose Aqua Jet put it just out of reach from the attack. Buizel coughed again. And fell to all fours. The Poison was rapidly becoming more of a problem than Ash had anticipated.

"Sky Attack!"

Honchkrow began glowing red and ascended high into the sky.

"Water Gun!"

A stream of clear water blasted from Buizel's maw, drenching Honchkrow but not interrupting its attack. Buizel began to coughing with regularity and its limbs quaked as it struggled to stay in the fight. Honchkrow dove toward Buizel fully-powered. Buizel could not move out of the way. Honchkrow's attack fell short, striking the ground, its feathers heavily waterlogged.

"If you can't even beat a weak opponent like this, what use are you?" asked Paul.

Honchkrow's eyes became fierce as it stared at its Trainer. It flew from the battlefield and perched next to Reggie. Reggie stroked its feathers and patted it on the head.

"Honchkrow has abandoned the battle! This round goes to Buizel!" stated the referee.

"Useless!" shouted paul. "Go, Torterra!"

The ground shook as a massive Pokemon appeared standing before Buizel. The tree on its back alone was nearly twice as tall as the aquatic Pokemon. Buizel smirked then immediately coughed.

"Buizel, use Ice Punch!"

Buizel's paw took on the cyan tinge again and it struck Torterra with all of its might. The giant Pokemon winced in pain but did not fall.

"Torterra, Frenzy Plant!"

Huge brownish-green woody vines shot out of the ground and ensnared Buizel. The vines lashed against Buizel as it continued to have a coughing fit. The vines eventually retreated back into the ground, leaving Buizel unmoving on its back.

"Buizel is unable to battle! The winner of this round is Torterra!"

Paul sneered. "That's more like it," he said.

"Good job, Buizel. I knew I could count on you. Now get yourself some rest.," said Ash as he put Buizel back into its Poke Ball.

"Your turn, Grotle!"

The Grove Pokemon appeared before Ash in a flash of white light. Torterra stared at its middle form, unmoving.

"Perfect," said Ash. "Grotle, use Rock Climb!"

Grotle charged Torterra and leapt onto its back, stomping its feet down as hard as it could again and again.

"Why didn't Paul have Torterra move?" asked Dawn.

"Frenzy Plant takes a lot of energy," said Brock. "Most Pokemon that can use it need a few moments rest before they can move again. It's not that Paul didn't want to have Torterra move, Torterra physically couldn't. And in this case, that could be very bad news for Paul because of Rock Climb's secondary effect."

"Rock Climb has a secondary effect?" she asked.

"Yes, and it looks like it took hold today. Look at Torterra's eyes. They've become unfocused," said Reggie.

Grotle jumped off of Torterra's back and landed staring at its face. Torterra's eyes had glassed over but it was starting to move. Grotle stepped back.

"Torterra, end this with Frenzy Plant!"

Thick vines once again shot from the ground. The vines raced around the battlefield, missing Grotle at every turn until they eventually ensnared Torterra in their web. They lifted Torterra up off the ground and slammed it onto its back. Torterra groaned in pain and struggled helplessly against its own attack which continued to hold it down.

"Rock Climb can cause Confusion?" asked Dawn incredulously. "How?"

"No one's sure," said Reggie. "Theories vary, but the most popular one is that Rock Climb can hit certain pressure points in a Pokemon's body which cause it to lose a bit of blood flow to its brain causing minor hallucinations. But seeing as Rock Climb can also cause Confusion in Pokemon proven to have no normal biological components like Magneton, the theory remains controversial."

"Grotle, finish it with Energy Ball!"

A sphere of blue-green energy appeared in Grotle's mouth. Grotle leapt into the air and fired the Energy Ball directly at Torterra. It hit Torterra in the jaw, slamming its mouth closed and knocking out the Continent Pokemon.

"Torterra is unable to battle! Grotle is the winner!"

"Seems Buizel's Ice Punch did more than Torterra let on," surmised Brock.

"Return!" shouted Paul. "Magmortar, burn everything to the ground!"

Magmortar reappeared and immediately sent out a red-hot Flamethrower from its hands. Grotle withstood the attack but flames lingered on its back.

"Grotle's been Burned," said Dawn.

"Return, Grotle!"

The Grove Pokemon disappeared in a flash of red light.

"After a powerful attack like that, you need to rest. Go, Staraptor!"

The Predator Pokemon appeared and soared straight into the sky and let out a confident caw. Magmortar paled as it looked up at its foe.

"Magmortar got hit with Staraptor's Intimidate, but it won't do Ash much good since all of Magmortar's attacks are Special," said Brock.

"Nice try, loser, but Magmortar doesn't know Fire Punch anymore, so your attempt to use Intimidate to your advantage has gained you nothing," said Paul.

"Why don't you respect your Pokemon, Paul? They aren't tools, they're partners!" shouted Ash

"The only good Pokemon is a strong Pokemon, and yours are all weaklings. Magmortar, Fire Spin!"

A spiral of red flames started up from the ground and shot upward, aiming for Staraptor.

"Dodge with Aerial Ace!"

Staraptor dove down quickly then vanished from view for a split-second before popping up directly in front of Magmortar. Magmortar grabbed Staraptor and held it down on the ground.

"Flamethrower!"

A burst of red flames blasted into Staraptor. The Predator Pokemon strained to get free of Magmortar's iron grip. Magmortar took a deep breath and continued its fiery assault.

"Staraptor, Close Combat!"

Staraptor kicked at Magmortar's stomach with its talons, knocking the breath out of it and causing it to let go. Staraptor followed with a flurry of kicks to the face and wing jabs to its arms and legs. Magmortar attempted to block the attack but strikes kept getting through its defenses and they began getting through with greater frequency the longer the battering went on. Magmortar finally managed to knock Staraptor away and ran backward toward Paul.

"Finish this, Magmortar! Fire Spin!"

"Staraptor, Brave Bird!"

An orb of flame gathered at Magmortar's mouth. The flame expanded like a ribbon in multiple directions, eventually taking on the shape of a Daimonji. Magmortar spat the attack toward Staraptor.

"That's Fire Blast!" said Brock.

"If it connects, Staraptor will be in bad shape," said Dawn.

"I've decided what I'm going to do," said Reggie.

A spiky blue aura surrounded Staraptor as it prepared to divebomb Magmortar. It let out a screech and began its rapidly-accelerated descent. Staraptor itself became nothing more than a spiky blue blur to the naked eye as it raced toward the Fire Blast which had barely had time to clear Magmortar when Staraptor collided with it. Staraptor pushed against the Fire Blast, trying to keep its speed going.

"You can do it, Staraptor!"

Staraptor broke through the Fire Blast, causing it to explode outward. Magmortar crossed its arms in front of its face on instinct, Staraptor swooped lower and rammed into its chest. The Blast Pokemon fell backward onto the ground.

"Magmortar is unable to battle! Staraptor is the winner!"

Ash ran toward Staraptor and embraced it happily. Pikachu joined in as well.

"We did it! We won! We won!"

"Ash won! Ash won!" cheered Dawn, hugging Piplup as tightly as she could and jumping up and down excitedly. She ran to give Ash a high-five.

"Impressive," said Brock with a proud smile. "Ash took advantage of every bit of luck he had in this match, even when Paul got similar lucky breaks."

"Pathetic, every one of you. How could you lose to a weak Trainer like him, with even weaker Pokemon?" said Paul dismissively.

Reggie stood up. Honchkrow had dried off and was perched on his shoulder. He watched as his brother began to walk away.

"Paul," he said flatly.

Paul turned around.

"What do you want?"

"Come with me. We are going to talk."

 _What does Reggie want to say to Paul? Will Ash be able to take on the league now that he's defeated his cruel rival? Find out next time on Pokemon!_

Author's notes:

1) I wrote this story because I absolutely hate Paul and how he gets away with treating Chimchar the way he does with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

2) Yes, the flame represented Electabuzz getting the Burn status, but the rest of the battle wasn't long enough for it to come into play.

3) This story starts part-way through the battle, so I consider the part of the battle before this story starts to be canon to my story.


	3. Chapter 3

_**As Time Goes By**_

A young woman sat perched on the cliff's edge, legs dangling above the gray-green waves as they crashed into the white sandy beach far below. Above the sky stretched on infinitely, a brilliant azure slowly being overtaken by an inky violet. Stars shone bright where the darkness had spread, twinkling in the cold winter air. A faint sound of bike bells rang to the north. A muffled hopping noise alerted the young woman, who turned to see a small, green, jelly-like creature with a red crystal in its center moving toward her. She turned her gaze back to the horizon and let out a long sigh, her breath a dense fog that obscured her view.

"Squishy…" she said.

"It's time to go, Bonnie," replied the creature. "Squooshy has already prepared everything."

"I know, but look at all this! The beach and the ocean right here, and Ambrette Town over there, I...I don't want to leave it all behind."

"Bonnie," said the creature gently, " you've had such a long time now to adjust. I know, the vision from that Gardevoir feels like nothing more than a fleeting dream, for all of us, yet all we must do is look to the sky for the terrible truth of it."

Bonnie glanced toward the sun. A small, black crescent had appeared on its upper half, drifting nearly imperceptibly down and growing larger as she continued to stare. The sky was darkening more quickly now.

"They haven't needed us for so long, Bonnie, but they won't be able to handle this on their own. Almost everyone leaves this world for the vast expanses of space as soon as they can. They always come back, though. And though we ourselves are bound to this planet…"

"It's our duty to ensure they have a home to come back to," Bonnie finished. She stood up, legs wobbling. "Woops, guess I've been here longer than I thought."

"Indeed," responded Squishy. "I've been waiting a few hours to interrupt your thoughts."

"One last favor. We'll get to see everyone again. Big brother, Ash, Serena...I wonder if they'll be mad I took so long." She began walking away from the oceanside cliff. She turned around after a few moments to see Squishy staring out over the horizon. She returned to the outcrop and picked up Squishy in her arms.

"You were right, Bonnie. It is a shame we'll have to leave this all behind."

"Take your last looks, because we're leaving right now!" Her voice shook. She brought Squishy up closer to her and nuzzled him tight to her cheek, enveloping him in her long, silky tresses. A tear dropped onto Squishy's head as he noticed something unusual.

"Bonnie, your hair!" exclaimed Squishy.

"Huh?" She finessed a few strands through her hand. She giggled as tears continued to fall haphazardly onto the frozen ground. "Electric blonde. Hehe, after all this time, after all we've been through, I finally got it right." She took a deep, calming breath. Her body shuddered but she raised her head high as she looked at the sun, which was now over halfway covered by a pitch-black disc, and shouted triumphantly.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone! It's a beautiful day for the end of the world!"

 **-A long time ago-**

A light autumn breeze picked up some leaves and tossed them underneath the foot of the old man as he trod down the well-worn path just outside Opelucid City with his Diggersby. Cane in hand, he walked until he reached the Village Bridge, leaves crunching beneath his feet in the brisk autumn air. Upon reaching his destination, he sat down upon a stone step for a rest.

"Big brother, big brother!"

A young woman bounded out of the nearby forest at full speed toward the old man, grinning like a maniac.

"Wait, wait, wait," he cried.

She crashed into him, knocking him into the soft, gray-white fur of his Diggersby. He groaned as he set himself straight. She sat down next to him, back against the post of the bridge.

"Bonnie, how many times do I have to tell you not to do that?"

"Sorry, big brother, I couldn't help it."

"That's what you always say...ah! Your hair!"

"Huh?" She glanced at her long, grass-green locks. "Oh, right." Her hair rippled and shimmered, a bright yellow electric blonde wave consuming the emerald sea until not one strand was left. "What does it matter anyway? Your hair's _gray._ "

"I don't know. It's been fifty years, you'd think a guy would get used to it."

"You wanna know what _I_ don't get after fifty years?"

"What?"

"Why Serena ever got the idea to set you up with Miette. It's just weird, you know?"

"Bonnie!"

"I'm just saying, it doesn't make sense. She's a fashionista, you're a tech whiz. Seems like you two would clash horribly. But what do I know? I got the cutest nieces and nephews out of it."

"What I think is that Serena was trying to prove something. That she knew what love was. It must have been hard on her, seeing the guy she was in love with after all that time, only to find out he wasn't all that into romance, and by the time he was, someone else had gotten to him first. Diggersby here knows all about the pains of love."

"That's his grandson, right, big brother?"

"Great-grandson. Diggersby...my original Diggersby rested and left this world the year Marcie was born. He was old, fifteen is ancient for Diggersby, and it was his time to go, but losing him truly was devastating. Marcie didn't get to know him long, but he loved keeping her safe. Miette...she was strong. She stayed even when I was inconsolable. She bites her lip when she's trying not to cry, did you know? I don't know if I'll ever be able to thank her enough. There are still times when I miss him. It's just this...wave of sadness and nostalgia and pain that washes over me."

"Ash must feel the same way about Pikachu. He said almost the same things you did when I visited him three months ago." The young woman sighed. Life is unbearable sometimes, isn't it, big brother?"

"Bonnie, why are you here? "

"I think you know why, big brother."

"So, the reason Marcie called me and broke down crying last week…"

"Uh-huh."

"She's going to lose her favorite aunt. It's going to be a rough year for her. How long?"

"Two weeks now. I've been going around getting my affairs in order. You're the last one on my list. After we're done here, I'm going to stop by Dad's memorial then head straight for Terminus Cave. That's the last place I'll be able to see any of you. So, please, come, say your goodbyes, get everything off your chest, all that sad stuff. It'll be your final chance to say anything you've been holding back where I'll be able to respond. So don't go wasting it."

"I suppose I should go and get my own affairs in order, too. Not as young as I once was." The old man pressed his cane hard into the ground and pushed himself to a standing position. The young woman stood up as well.

"Hey, big brother, there's just one thing I need from you."

"What is it?"

Bonnie wrapped her arms around him and pulled him tight against her.

"I love you, big brother. I'm going to miss you. And Miette. And Marcie. And...and…"

"I love you, sis. I know this is hard on you, too, but save your tears. Save the crying for Terminus Cave, when everyone will be there. It'll lessen the pain," said Clemont softly.

"O..OK," she answered, calming her breathing and letting go of her brother.

"Goodbye, Bonnie. See you in two weeks."

"Bye, Clemont."

Clemont began walking slowly back toward Opelucid City with his Diggersby. His cane stuttered along the ground. He looked over his shoulder. Bonnie's hair had returned to a rippling emerald green and she herself started shimmering and beginning to blend in with the environment around her. Soon, it was as if she had never been there to begin with.

"Miette is not going to enjoy hearing this, Diggersby. Or maybe she already knows. She's been biting her lip for the past month now."

 **-40 years before-**

A light spring drizzle prevented the cherry blossoms from becoming too much of a hassle as the battle raged on. The titanic beasts clashed again and again, kicking up massive clouds of dust and rocks with their explosively energetic attacks.

"Squishy, Land's Wrath!"

The ground surged with energy, rippling like the ocean and sending waves of earth crashing into the opponent. The opposing Rhyperior fell to the ground from the geologic assault.

"Rhyperior is unable to battle! The winner is Bonnie from Lumiose City!" cried the referee.

"We did it! We did it! We won! We won!"

Resounding cheers filled the stadium. Bonnie ran up to the large green and black Pokemon and hugged it as it shrunk down to its core. Squishy jiggled with excitement.

"That makes seven. Seven times we've won a regional League," she said. "You know what comes next. You promised."

A few hours later, the sky had cleared and void above shone with twinkling stars as the top three participants were handed their stadium had cleared out slightly. Bonnie smiled wide and flashed the V-sign as her picture was taken by the press, Squishy hopping up and down at her feet.

"What are you going to do now, Bonnie of Lumiose City? You've become quite famous for your blazing win record," asked a reporter.

"Well, I'm not sure what comes next," she answered.

"Do you have plans to take on the Battle Frontier? What about the Orange Islands? They've been gaining in popularity ever since Ash Ketchum was mentioned to have competed there," said another reporter.

"Like I said, i don't know what comes next. In the immediate future, I've made a promise to travel with Squishy to a place he wants to visit. He won't tell me where it is, so i don't know where we're going."

"Will we ever hear from you again? Ash Ketchum disappeared from the League a few years ago," said a third reporter.

"Those were special circumstances, I'm planning to still compete. I just don't know when I'll be back," Bonnie replied. "I've got to get going now, so if you'll excuse me…" She hopped down from the podium and pushed her way through the press gaggle who barraged her with repeated questions. She picked up speed and ran toward the exit of the stadium, reporters tripping over each other in their attempts to get an exclusive interview. She sprinted out the gate and ducked inside a cafe outside Prism Tower. She placed Squishy on the table and hid him from the other patrons behind the menu.

"I think we're safe now," she whispered. "So let's hear those directions to the place where you can meet Arceus."

 _ **-THE END-**_


End file.
